A Tale of Harmony
by HarryHermioneLove
Summary: The real reason Harry and Hermione aren't together... minor H/Hr, rated T just to be safe could be considered Ron bashing, but really isn't that bad. songfic.


**I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, Ginny would be a minor character and Harry And Hermione would be together!**

this is my first fan fiction. It's not that good, but I hope you like it.

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A Tale of Harmony, 4th Year

The _real_ reason Harry and Hermione didn't end up together…

**Harry POV-**

_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house  
That don't bother me  
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out  
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while  
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me  
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok  
But that's not what gets me_

Ok, I was going to do it. After four years of loving this amazing girl from afar, I was finally going to ask her out. The ball provided a great excuse for me to convince myself… Now was the perfect time. I just hope that that stupid, idiotic Bulgarian "bon-bon" Victor Krum hasn't asked her out. I've seen the way he looks at her. He doesn't really love her… or even like her really, although, I really don't see what's not to like. Anyway, he just sees her as a challenge, some one who doesn't automatically swoon over him just because he's a quiddich star. Ugh… he's just…not right for her. Of course, I could be a bit prejudiced… but that's not the point…

The point is, even if he is planning to ask her out, I am going to get there first… because as soon as I calm my nerves down, I am going to the library-of course, where else would my sweetie be- and I will ask her. I won't chicken out like I did on our first Hogsmeade weekend last year. Ok… breathe Harry, breathe… she's just a girl. Oh who am I kidding? She's not just a girl; she's the most important girl I've ever met… the most special and loveliest person alive. Oh look at me now… I'm just some lovesick nobody who can't even work up the nerve to ask out a girl. Ugh… I'm pathetic. **NO, No NO!** Stop it with the negatives, Harry! Just work up your courage! You've seen the looks she gives you sometimes… You couldn't have been imagining the love you saw in her eyes… of course, that might have been love for a brother… I shook my head and reached for the doorknob, ready to face my fears. Actually, I'd much rather face Voldemort than do this. Oh well, no turning back now.

Just as I was reaching to open the door, Ron barged into the room. "Oh. Hey Harry!" He stammered. "You're just the guy I was looking for!" Not wanting to hurt him, I sat down and motioned him to go on with his problem. "So…" Ron paused, as if he was struggling from a loss of words. "Um… I think I like someone, but you can't tell her, because I know she'd hex me for sure if she found out." I sighed… It looked like we were both having girl troubles… "And who is this mystery girl who you like so much…" Ron blushed furiously and stammered something unintelligible. "What was that? Didn't quite catch your answer." I noticed he seemed reluctant to answer, as if I'd laugh, or maybe run in fear… "It's not a Slytherin, is it?" He was acting quite peculiar… "Oh, no of course not! If it were, I'd have Avada Kedavra'd myself by now." He exclaimed!

_What hurts the most  
Was being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was tryin' to do_

"Well, umm… I think I like Hermione…" Those five simple words that he uttered made my world come crashing down on me. Hermione… MY Hermione? My adorable book loving absolutely beautiful best friend, Hermione? Oh no! This can't be happening… I'm feeling faint… "Harry? Harry!" Ron called, jutting me out of my daze. "Harry, did you hear one word I just said?" "Um, no… I'm afraid I didn't. Could you repeat it?" "Well…" he said quietly, "I asked if you would help me win her over. I know I probably won't be able to build up the courage to ask her to the ball, but I may be able to ask her out next year. Will you help?" Oh, you have got to be kidding me. If it were any other friend but Ron, I would have told them of my feelings, and how I had had them since first year. But I couldn't hurt Ron like that, especially since we had just gotten over the fight we had about me putting my name into the cup. I managed to stammer out a "Sure, Ron…" but even to my own ears, it sounded weak, broken, and mangled form the pain of not just a broken heart, but one that had been ripped into little, unfixable pieces. As he happily left the room with a "Thanks, Harry, I knew I could count on you!" I sank lower and lower into my pain. I fell asleep, hot tears streaming down my cheeks, skipping dinner altogether.

_It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go  
But I'm doin' It  
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone  
Still Harder  
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret  
But I know if I could do it over  
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart  
That I left unspoken_

The next day during one of our study halls, to my extreme disappointment, Ron had finally plucked up the courage to ask Hermione to the ball. Of course, he asked it in the most "Ron" way possible. Still, throughout the whole thing, I was crushed with repressed pain, but still felt a strange hope that she may turn him down and ask me, even if it would kill Ron. "Hey, Hermione." Ron began, and I grimaced, just waiting for the wave of pain to slice through me like a new, brutally sharp knife. I waited for him to continue. "You're a girl. I mean, it's perfectly acceptable for a guy to show up without a date… but for a girl, it's simply pathetic." I cringed, feeling her pain and anger along with my elation that she would turn him down. "Ronald Billius Weasley! I'll have you know that that was the most pathetic excuse for a pickup line I've ever heard! Am I truly just some pathetic last resort? And, I actually already had someone ask me… AND I SAID YES!" This last part cut me deeper than any other, and I was almost trembling with unreleased agony. As Hermione rushed off, I looked at Ron with a 'you really have no experience, do you' look and rushed off. It looked as if I was going off to find her, but it was really just the opposite. I was running away, not willing to face her, especially now that I knew that I never held a chance with her.

Now it was the day of the Ball, and in a desperate attempt to get over Hermione (although I knew it would never happen) I had asked Pavarti Patil, one of Hermione's dorm mates along with Lavender Brown. Ron, feeling very dejected, was taking Pavarti's twin sister, Padma, who was in Ravenclaw. As we were waiting outside the Great Hall, I heard Pavarti whisper, "Oh, she's beautiful isn't she?" I knew that she was talking about Cho Chang, the obnoxious and stupid Ravenclaw who belonged in Slytherin with all of the other blundering idiots. But, I only had eyes for Hermione, who had chosen that moment to walk oh so graciously down the stairs. Oh, she was gorgeous. "Yeah, absolutely beautiful." I murmured, of course, talking about the one person to whom my heart belonged, but who would never return my love. Our eyes made contact. Was that pain I saw? Love, but with pain so fully mixed in? I couldn't tell, because as soon as her beautiful chocolate eyes sought out mine, they left, searching around the room for, what I assumed was her date. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, and the vile previously known as Krum placed his arm around Hermione, my heart shattered, leaving only one person, who would never glance my way, to pick up the pieces.

_What hurts the most  
Was being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was tryin' to do_

**Hermione POV-**

_And I'd give up forever to touch you,  
Cause I know that you feel the same somehow.  
You're the closest heaven that I'll ever be,  
And I don't want to go home right now._

Oh. It was only a dream. My beautiful green-eyed sweetheart that I have loved since the second I barged into that compartment on September first, four years ago wasn't about to finally ask me out on a date. But oh how I wished he would. I love _him!_ Not the Boy-who-lived, or the most eligible bachelor in all of Wizarding Europe, but just Harry. My wonderful, put-everyone's-happiness-before-your-own best friend, Harry. But, of course, he would never love, or even give a second glance to me, Hermione, his very bookwormyish, bushy-haired, plain-Jane best friend. Especially when he could have any girl in Hogwarts that he wanted. I mean, beautiful girls were practically throwing themselves at him! Pavarti, Lavender, Cho, Ginny- of course, knowing Harry, he wouldn't go out with them because all they had was either Hero-Worship or they just wanted a piece of his fame. Even so, I'm sure that Harry wouldn't ever spare a glance in my direction. Although, I sometimes do see love in his eyes when he looks at me, but who am I kidding. It's probably just love for a sister.

Of course, this isn't to say that I can't get a date either. Victor Krum has been following me lately and, although it's rather creepy, I find it a little flattering. Also, I have caught Terry Boot staring at me several times this year, and even Ron will sometimes look down and blush when I'm around, but all of these guys simply aren't Harry. Harry, the perfect guy, always giving, and never expecting anything in return. Oh, how I wish he'd ask me to the ball! Honestly, I really should just pluck up the courage to go ask him myself. The worst he could do is say no, but even that would crush my heart into millions of sharp, broken shards.

And all I can taste is this moment,  
And all I can breathe is your life,  
And sooner or later it's over,  
I just don't want to miss you tonight.

Just as I was about to pluck up the courage to go ask Harry myself, Lavender and Pavarti came barging into the dorm, squealing like a small child going to Disney world. "Alright, what happened? Why do you look like you two are about to go to Disney World?" I asked, quite flustered by there sudden, and horribly timed entrance. "Disney- what?" came two confused replies, as I realized what I had said. "Oh, it's a muggle thing. Anyway, what happened?" I exclaimed! "Well," Pavarti began, but before she could continue, she was interrupted by Lavender. "Guess who we just found out likes you, and may ask you to the ball! Go on then, guess!" No. It couldn't be. Were my dreams literally coming true right before my eyes? "Oh, I don't know. It's not a Slytherin, is it?" Even If I got on to Harry and Ron's case about that, I couldn't help but be a bit prejudiced myself. "No, of course not! It's Ron!" Pavarti yelled, obviously expecting me to share in her excitement, although contrarily, this comment left me completely shell shocked and depressed.

"Ron… Weasly?" Oh, please tell me I didn't hear her right… please! "Of course, silly!" said Lavender, interrupting my thoughts. "I mean, you've seen the looks he's been giving you! He obviously likes you! And, we heard from Padma, who heard from Luna, who heard from Dean, who heard form Ginny, who heard from Fred and George that Ron wanted to ask you to the ball!" Feeling a little nauseous, I managed to mumble something along the lines of, "Great… lovely… just great…" and proceed to collapse on my bed. I was trying to relax, while wishing that it were my other best friend about to ask me out. Than is, until a small third year, whose name I thought was Hestia Jones, came knocking on our door saying, "Hermione! Hello! Is Hermione in there? If she is, Victor Krum wants to talk to you! He's waiting in the common room! He said to hurry!" And with that, she ran off. After hearing this announcement, Lavender and Pavarti started squealing, _again_, and practically pushed me out the door.

_And I don't want the world to see me,  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am._

As I walked down the stairs, Ron came blasting down the boys' staircase, nearly knocking me over! Well, that shows how much he cares, doesn't it? Then I saw Victor, or more like heard him. He was talking to a group of girls about the first time he ever pulled a Wronski Feint, like he had at the Quiddich World Cup. Ugh… it sickens me. All these boys could think about was Quiddich. As soon as Victor noticed me, though, he abruptly stood up, startling the girls he was talking to. "Her-mon-inny," he began, mispronouncing my name, as always. "Vould you do me the honor of being my date to the Ball?" Since I knew Harry wouldn't ask me, and I wanted to avoid Ron asking me at all costs, I replied, "Sure, Victor. I would love to." Everyone in the common room gasped, as I realized that it had gone completely silent. I blushed, waved goodbye, and turned to dash up the stairs. When I got there, still blushing slightly, Lavender and Pavarti giggled, and immediately started asking questions. I shot them all down, and told them that I wasn't hungry, and that I would see them in the morning. I pulled the curtains around me, and the hot tears began to fall, because I knew that I would never get my happily ever after with Harry.

_And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,  
Or the moment of the truth in your lies.  
When everything feels like the movies,  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive._

During our study hall the next day, I heard Ron approach me. I knew what was going to happen, and I was going to try to let him down easily. "Hey, Hermione. You're a girl." Oh, Ron. Thanks for noticing. You really know how to flatter someone don't you! "I mean, it's perfectly acceptable for a guy to show up without a date… but for a girl, it's simply pathetic." What! I'm pathetic! How dare he! Honestly, insinuating that I can't get a date on my own! "Ronald Billius Weasley! I'll have you know that that was the most pathetic excuse for a pickup line I've ever heard! Am I truly just some pathetic last resort? And, I actually already had someone ask me… AND I SAID YES!"I saw him flinch, and I saw the look of pain cross through Harry's beautiful emerald eyes, but I ran out of the room anyway. I raced back to my dorm because I heard Harry's footsteps behind me. Suddenly, his footsteps turned. I had no idea where he was going. Maybe he was trying to hurry and catch some girl. Oh well. I didn't have any chance with him anyway, apparently. Maybe I'll go see what monstrous dress Pavarti and Lavender put me in.

Today was the day of the ball, and I still didn't know who Harry was going with. My dress was a very pretty periwinkle color, and I really did like it. I just wish I was as pretty as the other girls at Hogwarts, so that maybe Harry would notice me. Anyway, as I turned the corner to go down the stairs, Harry saw me, and his gorgeous green eyes were filled with love, pain, and… confusion? Hmm, I'll figure that out later. Of course, he was taking someone much prettier than I am, Pavarti. He was much to good for her anyway. He was gorgeous, with his hair unruly as always, and his neat dress robes. I felt extremely sorry for Padma, whose date, Ron, was wearing family heirloom dress robes. Ronald said that they made him look like his great aunt Tessie. That's a scary thought. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Victor was waiting for me, and when I reached him, he placed his arm around my waist. I felt very uncomfortable, but that was a given if the guy I was with wasn't Harry. I guess my heart would remain shattered until only he came to pick up the pieces.

_And I don't want the world to see me,  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.  
When everything's made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am__._

_The End_


End file.
